Son Heung-min has been rewarded for his growing importance at Tottenham with a new five-year contract.
The South Korea international, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, has pledged his future to the London club until the end of the 2022-23 season.
Son, 26, has steadily taken on a more prominent role under Mauricio Pochettino and featured 37 times in the Premier League last term, including 27 starts.
His 26 league goals over the past two seasons have eased the burden on star striker Harry Kane and helped Spurs to consecutive top-three finishes.
The second came in stoppage time of a famous 2-0 victory over Germany, which confirmed the reigning champions’ shock early exit from the tournament.
Son joins Kane and Pochettino in agreeing fresh terms at Spurs since last season. Pochettino signed a five-year contract in May, while Kane’s new six-year deal was confirmed last month.
Son joined Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur for £22 million (€30 million) on a five-year contract, subject to work permit and international clearance. Upon his signing, he became the most expensive Asian player in football history. the record had been held since 2001 by Japanese Hidetoshi Nakata, who transferred from Roma to Parma for €25 million.
Son made his debut on 13 September away to Sunderland, being replaced by Andros Townsend in the 62nd minute of a 1–0 win. In Tottenham’s first match of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League on 17 September, Son netted his first two goals for the club in a 3–1 win against Three days later, he scored his first Premier League goal, against Crystal Palace at White Hart Lane, netting in the 68th minute to give Tottenham their first home Premier League win of the season. On 28 December, Son replaced Tom Carroll in the 80th minute and scored Tottenham’s winning goal in the 89th minute. On 2 May, he scored the second goal against Chelsea in a crucial match to give Spurs hope of winning the Premier League. Chelsea equalised in the second half, however, handing over the title to Licester City.
Before the season, he reportedly asked Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino for permission to leave Tottenham in an attempt to get more playing time, but was instead given a chance to fight for his place at Spurs. On 10 September 2016, Son scored two goals and created a third in his first appearance of the season, in a 4–0 win against Stoke City. Son followed that performance up with a second brace, coming at Middlesbrough on 24 September, earning his team a 1–2 victory. Upon equaling his league goal total from the previous season in 25 fewer matches, Son was hailed by Pochettino as “a different person – he’s more mature and he knows the league and he’s settled in fantastically now.” Son continued his excellent run of form with his fifth goal in five matches on 27 September in the Champions League. Playing at CSKA Moscow, Son slipped a shot past goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev for the only goal of the match.On 14 October, Son was named the Premier League Player of the Month for September, being the first South Korean and first Asian to receive the award.